The local PC candidate wants to 'make life easier' for local businesses
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11 minutes ago by: SooToday Staff

Ross Romano, candidate for the PC Party of Ontario, speaks during a steelworker debate May 16, 2017 at the Marconi Club. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday

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PC CANDIDATE ROSS ROMANO

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Ross Romano appeared before the Real Estate Board and demonstrated why he is the best candidate to represent Sault Ste Marie at Queen’s Park by presenting a clear willingness to fight for realtors and other local business people.

“Realtors are pillars of their communities and hardworking small business owners. It is time to cut red tape in Sault Ste Marie and make life easier for local businesses,” said Romano.

Romano spoke to the need to ensure realtors could reach their full potential and not be held back by government red tape and regulatory burden, noting “the Ontario PC Party wants to give our realtors the same business rights as everybody else”.

The Liberal and NDP candidates failed to present a plan to stand up for realtors by easing any their business pressures, while Romano recognized their hard work, the challenges their face, and committed to supporting them in Ontario’s legislature.

Liberals and PCs have differing opinions on who would be more effective at Queen's Park — a member of the government or a member of the opposition
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about 2 hours ago by: Kenneth Armstrong

Ross Romano, candidate for the Ontario PC party, speaks during a campaign event this morning at the F.J. Davey Home. Kenneth Armstrong/SooTodayt

While the Liberal candidate in the upcoming provincial byelection says she wants the Sault to have ‘a seat at the table’, her Ontario PC party opponent says the table is broken.

At a campaign event at the F.J. Davey Home this morning, Ontario PC candidate Ross Romano said the Sault’s previous representative at Queen’s Park was not able to stop cuts to nurses and other frontline health workers and preventing waste and misspending.

"In 2016, we lost 1,600 nurses in our province — 35 nurses and frontline staff in Sault Ste. Marie alone. I am committed to fighting to ensure the money that gets invested into health care gets invested into the front lines, where it matters the most. To care for the people we love," said Romano.

"We had a Liberal MPP in Sault Ste. Marie for the last 13 years, a hard fighter for Sault Ste. Marie and someone that everyone in this community knows in Mr. David Orazietti. He was a cabinet minister, he was at the table. And we still experienced the cuts we experienced to this day. He wasn't able to move the needle like I am sure he wanted to do in his own Liberal government. I think it's fair to say we are dealing with a government that is plagued by scandal, waste and mismanagement for years. Billions of dollars being thrown away,” said Romano.

The PC candidate said he does not want to be at Premier Kathleen Wynne’s ‘table’.

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"I would be happier to fight on behalf of us, from the other side of the table and let her know — Ms. Kathleen Wynne — your table is broken and we are going to identify that on a regular and ongoing basis on behalf of the residents of our city," said Romano.

Debbie Amaroso, Ontario Liberal candidate in the June 1 byelection, said in a news release yesterday the Liberals are the best vote for residents of Sault Ste. Marie because they hold a majority government until at least the 2018 general election.

“If you elect a member of the opposition,” she said, “I’m afraid they won’t have the access or influence that I will,” suggested Amaroso.

During this morning's campaign stop, Patrick Brown, Ontario PC leader, said members of the opposition can be very effective in reversing the government’s course when it comes to policy, citing previously-planned cuts by the Liberal government to Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) therapy for children with autism.

"It was ridiculous, but every day in the legislature we got up and exposed the government. We told the stories of children," said Brown.

"On Saturday I was in Sault Ste. Marie, and a mother told me that because of IBI therapy her child was able to say 'I love you' for the first time. They were non-verbal. IBI therapy works and because we told those stories, the government cancelled their cuts to IBI therapy," said Brown.

He added, “I can tell you, on the issue of autism — all of the Liberal MPPs said it's fine to kick kids off (of IBI therapy at age five).”

Brown and Romano highlighted the Sault’s lack of access to positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, which are used to diagnose various forms of cancer and other diseases.

Brown said Sault residents must drive to the Greater Toronto Area to receive a PET scan.

"Do you think a Kathleen Wynne apologist here is going to point out that it's wrong people have to drive nine hours for a PET Scan? We need someone who is actually going to stand up in the legislature and point out where the government hasn't acted,” said Brown.

In 2015, Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s health minister, announced the government’s intention to make a PET scanner available for the Health Sciences North Centre in Sudbury.

"Why would we complain if we only had to travel three hours to get to Sudbury? But here's the head scratcher — Sudbury is still trying to develop the funds, the $10 million or so it's going to take to obtain this PET Scanner and it's going to take at least another two years for them to obtain it," said Romano.

Brown said a permanent PET scanner in Sudbury ‘is great’, but suggests a mobile PET scanner would be cheaper and could be made available ‘immediately’.

"This is unacceptable that people in the Sault have to drive to Toronto to obtain services that we could obtain right here, right at home," said Romano.

Amaroso said she came out of retirement because she believes the Sault needs to make the most of this next year by remaining a part of the government.

“If you vote for me, your Liberal candidate, the Sault will remain a member of the majority government and there are significant benefits that come with being aligned with the government,” wrote Amaroso.

“I could take the minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to lunch and insist that I want to protect our community from bears and that the Sault won’t accept anything less than our guaranteed safety,” she said when citing various examples of how effective she believes she could be as member of provincial parliament

The spectre of Essar Steel Algoma being plasma-torched and sold off in pieces was raised yesterday by provincial byelection candidate Joe Krmpotich.

"If it is liquidated, and it does fail, it's gonna impact on 50,000 people in this municipality. Between workers and between surrounding business and between the pensioners," Krmpotich, the NDP candidate, said during a candidates' debate organized by the Sault Ste. Marie Real Estate Board.

"That's how critical it is, for real estate jobs, for people's property and everyone else that lives in the surrounding areas, including Sault Ste. Marie," Krmpotich said of the local steelmaker, which is still struggling to emerge from the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings that have protected it from creditors since November 2015.

"What we have to do, is we have to make sure those jobs are there for our young people, so they're able to come and purchase new homes the same way we had that opportunity when we were their age. That's what we gotta do. The Number 1 thing is to make sure those 3,000 jobs are there."

Krmpotich cited J.D. Aero Technical as a local success story.

Working in partnership with Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corp., the company has grown from the original three employees to more than 75.

J.D. Aero specializes in maintaining aircraft including the De Havilland Dash 8 family, Bombardier Canadair CRJ family and the Fairchild Metro.

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"These are good jobs for our young people. That's the way we have to do it," Krmpotich said.

"We've gotta work together in partnerships with business, with the EDC and others to be able to grow our local economy and make sure that these jobs are still there for our children."

"Our single biggest industry is withholding their taxes," Flannigan told the Realtors.

Although the steelmaker recently agreed to make partial payments on its municipal property taxes going forward, Flannigan pointed out that the $25 million Essar Algoma's owes for back taxes isn't being addressed.

"That's holding our community over a barrel," she said. "We're really challenged and crippled in making the decisions that will make us healthy, happy, productive and connected."

Flannigan expressed hope that the Superior Court justice presiding over Essar's insolvency proceedings "has an outcome soon, and it benefits all of us."

"Every community has skin in this game, of being affected should corporations decide not to pay their taxes," she said.

Flannigan came to yesterday's meeting with Green Party Ontario leader Mike Schreiner.

"Kara and I have been visiting businesses and knocking on doors and I think it's clear that people want change,"Schreiner told SooToday.

"Voting for any of the three status quo candidates will change nothing... But if you bring in a new voice with new ideas that's part of a new party, that can shake things up at Queen's Park and benefit the people of the Sault."

The byelection will take place on June 1 with polls open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Here's the official list of the seven official candidates:
•Amaroso, Debbie - Ontario Liberal Party
•Balfour, Gene - Ontario Libertarian Party
•Flannigan, Kara - Green Party of Ontario
•Krmpotich, Joe - New Democratic Party of Ontario
•Romano, Ross - Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
•Turmel, John, Pauper Party of Ontario
•Znoneofthe, Above - None of the Above Party

All of the candidates except Balfour and Turmel attended yesterday's session with the Realtors.

The five candidates present were asked to comment on the province's proposed mandatory Home Energy Rating and Disclosure Program, which would force sellers to obtain an energy audit before homes are listed for sale on a multiple listing database, requiring the auditor’s report and energy rating to be included in the listing.

"It is not mandatory for those who wish to sell their homes privately," said Kim Clouthier, president of the Sault Ste. Marie Real Estate Association, indicating that this is an issue for Realtors.

"The concerns that I have heard about it are: Are you now going to implement something to help those who have a poor energy rating, fix their home?" Clouthier said.

Conservative Romano said the energy audits are expected to cost $250 and should be voluntary. "You're pushing people as sellers to not want to use Realtors," he said.

Liberal Amaroso expressed concern about the fairness of the way the energy audits are being implemented.

New Democrat Krmpotich said his party supports making information about energy efficiency available to prospective home buyers. "Any mandatory energy audits must provide financial support to Ontario families seeking to lower their energy bills."

Flannigan of the Green Party said supported home energy retrofits but said that energy audits should be voluntary. "It's only fitting that certified home inspectors are also qualified to do a home energy audit as well."

Znone agreed that home inspectors should also be allowed to conduct energy audits.

Liberal candidate Debbie Amaroso made one of the first concrete promises of the Sault Ste. Marie by-election campaign during a debate on CBC radio's Morning North.

She said that her party will move Ontario and Lottery Gaming jobs back to Sault Ste. Marie from Toronto.

The crown corporation's "head office" has been in the Sault since the 1990s with about 300 employees, but many of those jobs have been slowly moving south.

Amaroso says she has the assurances of Premier Kathleen Wynne to reverse that trend and to work to develop a gaming industry in the Sault.

"For whatever reason I can't fathom right now, then hold me accountable, because that is my promise," said Amaroso.

But Progressive Conservative candidate Ross Romano wondered why this wasn't done when the Sault was represented by Liberal MPP and cabinet minister David Orazietti.

"I'm not sure how this candidate is going to be able to do this in 6 to 12 months, when he wasn't able to do it in 13 years," Romano said.

Much of the discussion centered around the development of the Ring of Fire and the chromite smelter that Noront Resources is considering building in one of four northern Ontario cities, including the Sault.

"The smelter reduction process should go right here in Sault Ste. Marie," said New Democrat candidate Joe Krmpotich.

But none of the parties have picked which northern city they'd like to see get the smelter.

"The Ring of Fire we all know it's an amazing opportunity for northern Ontario, regardless of where a smelter ends up," says Romano.

Before getting down to business, the three candidates got a little personal with some ice-breaker questions.

What TV show is Krmpotich embarrassed to say he likes? What subject was Amaroso bad at in school? What's Romano's favourite OHL team?

President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, Michael Hurley says the provincial government is trying to sway Sault Ste. Marie's byelection by providing more funding to the area hospital.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions is accusing the provincial government of attempting to sway the Sault Ste. Marie byelection with hospital funding.

The council claims the Sault Area Hospital has received a 3.8 per cent increase in funding in 2017, compared to the average of 2 per cent received by other northern Ontario health centres.

The numbers are based on provincial funding announcements says Michael Hurley, president of OCHU.

"All of them are cutting beds, staff and services and all of them are under-funded."

"So I don't think there's a compelling case to make that the Sault Ste. Marie's hospital's needs are very much different at all from North Bay, from Sudbury's or any of the other hospitals," says Hurley.

Ontario Council of Hospital Unions
Members with the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions plan an upcoming rally to protest cuts to hospitals across the province. The rally is scheduled for June 8 in Sudbury, Ont. (Samantha Samson/CBC)

Sudbury has been suffering from a lack of funding, fewer staff members and a toxic workplace says Dave Shelefontiuk, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1623, which represents services and clerical groups at Health Sciences North.

"People cannot do what they're paid to do. They're running around, trying to get things down and the morale is like "why am I here," says Shelefontiuk.

He calls it a constant uphill battle, without any ground being gained.

CBC News asked the Sault Area Hospital and the Ministry of Health about the funding differences. Neither were able to comment in time for our deadline.

OCHU and CUPE are planning another rally to protest cuts to all Ontario hospitals.

That rally is scheduled for June 8 in Sudbury, with more rallies set to take place in the coming months in other parts of the province.

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The Liberal Green Energy Act, which was supported by the NDP, is the reason for the Hydro mess; it’s the reason families must choose between food and power.

Before the Green Energy Act Ontario was producing more power than we needed. There was a comfortable cushion of supply in the system. Under the Green Energy Act, the Liberals, backed by the NDP, signed thousands of contracts to produce additional power.

Under those very generous and foolish agreements, Ontario now must pay these suppliers of power for even more power that Ontario can’t use. Ontario pays to produce so much extra power that we can keep the lights on in the entire province of Nova Scotia.

One leaked contract proves the Liberals signed a $7 billion contract with Samsung to produce this excess power. The price Ontario agreed to pay for the power was 40 times the market rate. The Liberals and the NDP forced Ontario families to pay to produce power that was not needed and to pay 400% more than the market price.

All of this excess power that we don’t use is sold to the United States and even Quebec at prices that are a tiny fraction of what it costs Ontario to produce it. Our rates spiked to cover the loss on the extra power that is sold outside of Ontario.

The Liberals have made cuts to health care workers and educators but they happily pay the huge salaries and perks to the managers and executives that run our collapsing power system for the benefit of our American neighbours.

“There has to be a change to the way we produce and manage our power,” says Romano and I will fight for those changes.”

Romano explains, “There are tangible solutions that will immediately stop the bleeding”:

1.A complete review and reduction of the exorbitant pay packages and perks of the hydro elite. I will fight until savings are passed on to hydro consumers. No CEO of a hydro company should be paid $4.7 million as the CEO of Hydro One earns, while families are living in the dark and the cold;

2.The Liberal power contracts have never been made public. I will fight for a complete and public review of these high-priced agreements. And every one of them that can be cancelled, will be cancelled and I will fight to cancel the Green Energy Act;

The government’s own financial watch dog just confirmed that immediately after the 2018 election, your hydro rates will skyrocket more than ever before under the Liberals misguided Fair Energy Plan.

The NDP suggests they are going to buy back Hydro One. Not only is this impossible, but if such a fairy- tale idea were to become a reality, it would have to be paid for with either a huge tax increase or even higher hydro rates because Kathleen Wynne has already spent all the money from the Hydro One sale.

( there is another Soo today poll online , liberal is being beaten badly again , not sure how accurate there polls are . out of curiosity I voted and then tried to vote again and it said computer had already voted , so people aren't voting twice )

( turnout in the advance polls was somewhat low only around 3000 voted , perhaps having them on the long weekend kept some people away as they may have been out of town , I personally though it seemed odd to have advance polls on the Victoria day weekend and clearly turnout was lower than past elections )

TORONTO, May 29, 2017 /CNW/ - As of May 29, 2017, preliminary figures indicate that 3,065 voters cast their ballot at advance polls in the Sault Ste. Marie by-election. In comparison, 3,966 voters cast their ballot at advance polls in Sault Ste. Marie in the 2014 General Election.

Advance polling took place between May 20, 2017 and May 26, 2017. Voters also had the opportunity to vote in person by special ballot at the local returning office, by home visit, or by mail.

Election day is on June 1, 2017. An estimated 62,944 eligible voters will be able to cast their ballot in the Sault Ste. Marie provincial by-election. Eligible voters are encouraged to visit elections.on.ca to find out where, when and how to vote.

There are 7 candidates running to fill the seat as Member of Provincial Parliament for the electoral district of Sault Ste. Marie. A complete list of candidates is available at elections.on.ca.

On election day, there will be approximately 400 election workers at 52 voting locations across the electoral district of Sault Ste. Marie.

For more information visit elections.on.ca or call 1-888-668-8683 (TTY: 1-888-292-2312).

Fast Facts for Media
•A blackout on political advertising begins at midnight on May 30, 2017 (Eastern Time) and ends at 11:59 P.M. (Eastern Time) on June 1, 2017.

•The publication of election surveys that have not previously been made public is prohibited between midnight (Eastern Time) on May 31, 2017 and 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) on June 1, 2017.

•Filming or photography is not permitted in the polls, except for a photo opportunity of a candidate casting their ballot. Photo opportunities must be arranged between the candidate and the local Sault Ste. Marie Returning Officer.

•Media representatives may make arrangements with the Sault Ste. Marie Returning Officer to be present at the local returning office following the close of polls at 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) on June 1, 2017.

•Unofficial election results will be available at elections.on.ca after the close of polls at 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) on June 1, 2017.

( the final poll results stayed about the same , I looked back to 2014 to see if they got it right then , the liberal did win the poll but only with around 40's and pc's were much higher than election day result so it be interesting to see if there results are close to the actual ones )

Romano School
Ross Romano visits site of former Sir James Dunn School, now reduced to rubble due to declining enrollment. - Photo Credit: Monica Stefanick

Sault Ste. Marie is a community where youth and families struggle to find fulfilling jobs.
Population and income statistics can be marched out to prove the point but according to Ross Romano, “We don’t need a list of statistics to prove what everyone here already knows. Children and families have been leaving this city for more than 30 years.”
On a recent tour of the city, Ross proves the point, “neighbourhood schools are being demolished. Recreation facilities are starved for investment. Our once vibrant downtown core is struggling to survive.”

Liberals and the NDP have represented this city at Queen’s Park for more than 31 years but employment and youth out-migration problems have only become worse.
Romano asks, “From the boom times of the 1980s, NDP and Liberal MPPs have not been able to stop the erosion of jobs and prosperity in the city. It is time for meaningful change, for fresh ideas and new plan of attack:

1. With the support of Patrick Brown, I will work to ensure that the Ring of Fire project becomes a reality and I will fight to have the Noront Mineral Processing plant built in SSM. This will create a resurgence of good paying industrial jobs that people in the Sault are capable and qualified to fill;

2. I will call for a complete revamp of grants from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). Despite giving out $1B dollars over the last ten years, the NOHFC has not delivered job growth or population growth to the city. We need a two-pronged approach.
i. I will fight for funds in NOHFC to be directed to support two new major industrial employers. One in the steel sector and one in natural resources;
ii. I will fight for NOHFC funds to support a major multinational employer in the hi-tech sector. We need to kick start this economy.

3. The provincial policy on the North needs to include very focused investments in recreation and wellness facilities. I want to leverage the community data bank created by your Innovation Centre to get modern and relevant community recreation hubs in neighbourhoods where they are needed most. Whether you live in Ward 6 or Ward 1, or anywhere in between you should not have to use a dangerous and outdated, 45 year old arena. These investments are needed not only to improve opportunities for our kids but to help our city attract newcomers and investment.

Ross Romano is convinced, “The last 31 years with the NDP and Liberals have not brought solutions for Sault Ste. Marie families. It’s time for a representative who can drive innovative solutions and change.”

Photo Credit: Monica Stefanick Photo Caption: Ross Romano visits site of former Sir James Dunn School, now reduced to rubble due to declining enrolment.

TORONTO – A provincial byelection in Sault Ste. Marie on Thursday will give voters a chance to weigh in on Ontario’s Liberal government a year ahead of the general election.

The riding has been held by the Ontario Liberals since the 2003 election, which also saw the Liberals form government.

But now victory in the Sault appears within reach of all three parties, all of which have campaigned hard and recruited locally respected candidates, according to Trevor Tchir, a political science professor at Sault Ste. Marie’s Algoma University.

“A lot of people in the Sault, and those interested in Ontario politics outside of the Sault, see this as a litmus test for public sentiment going into next year’s general election,” said Tchir.

Observers are interested to see if the Liberals can hold on to the riding, despite recent low poll numbers for the party and Premier Kathleen Wynne, Tchir said. They’ll face tough opposition from the Progressive Conservative Party, which is polling well across the province, and the NDP, which has a strong northern caucus.

PC Candidate Ross Romano, a city councillor, got a head start in the race, Tchir said. He was nominated in early November to represent his party in the June 2018 general election – before Liberal cabinet minister David Orazietti announced he would step down in December, prompting the byelection.

Romano has been telling voters it’s time to take the government to task on high electricity rates and Liberal scandals, a message the PCs would like to see resonate in Sault Ste. Marie and across the province next year, said Tchir.

The NDP recruited another city councillor, Joe Krmpotich, in January. Since then, party leader Andrea Horwath has been up to Sault Ste. Marie at least half a dozen times campaigning on his behalf, she said. The trips have shown her the people of Sault Ste. Marie aren’t happy with being ignored by the Liberal government and want someone to fight for them, Horwath said.

The Liberals were the last to find a candidate. Former Mayor Debbie Amaroso was nominated in late April, less than a week before the writ dropped. Her message to voters is that an MPP from the governing party is in a better position to get things done that one in opposition.

Deputy Premier Deb Matthews said she hopes voters in Sault Ste. Marie will respond positively to Amaroso and to the government’s major recent announcements, including the Fair Hydro Plan, which lowers hydro rates in the short term through debt that ratepayers will have to pay off over the long term.

However, Matthews cautioned against reading too much into what a Liberal loss in Sault Ste. Marie would mean for the government’s chances in 2018.

“Byelections are always tough for government, that’s a well-known fact,” Matthews said. “But we’ve got a great candidate and we’re working hard.”

Major local issues include electricity prices and jobs, said Tchir. Sault Ste. Marie is one of several northern cities hoping to be home to a chromite smelter that would provide a boost to local employment and economic growth, and all three candidates have vowed to advocate for it to be built in the area.

( even after following the race closely I don't really know what to make of it all , its very tough to predict and I'm personally not sure who's going to win tonight , it seems certain the pc's are going to do a lot better than the 10% they got in 2014 but will it be enough to go further ? )

Sault Ste. Marie votes today in provincial byelection seen as test for Liberals

The Canadian Press
Published Thursday, June 1, 2017 5:49AM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, June 1, 2017 6:05AM EDT

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Voters in Sault Ste. Marie head to the polls today in a provincial byelection observers see as a test of the governing Liberals ahead of next year's general election.

The riding has been held by the Ontario Liberals since the 2003 election, but Trevor Tchir, a political science professor at Sault Ste. Marie's Algoma University, says victory in the Sault appears within reach of all three major parties.

Tchir says observers are interested to see if the Liberals can hold on to the riding, despite recent low poll numbers for the party and Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Debbie Amaroso
Debbie Amaroso is seen in this file photo.

Tory candidate Ross Romano, a city councillor, was nominated in early November to represent his party in the June 2018 general election -- before Liberal cabinet minister David Orazietti announced he would step down in December, prompting the byelection.

The NDP recruited another city councillor, Joe Krmpotich, in January.

The Liberals nominated former Mayor Debbie Amaroso in late April, less than a week before the writ dropped.

Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is blanketed with election signs as the city gets ready to select its new member of provincial parliament.

In the west end of the city, most of those signs are orange and blue.

This is Ward 6, which is represented at city council by Joe Krmpotich, now running for the New Democrats and Progressive Conservative candidate Ross Romano.

Both of their signs can be seen on many lawns in the area, some of which even have three on them.

One voter says he is just setting up a croquet course. Another says she doesn't want her neighbours to know who she supports.

Lisa Tominski says her neighbourhood feels divided.

"By the look of the signs that are on the lawns, yes," she says while out walking her dogs.

Tominski is happy to tell you that she is voting for Romano, who is a personal friend and whom she believes can bring about real change in the health care system.

New Algoma sign at Sault Ste. Marie steel mill
The company that operates the main steel mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., once known as Essar Steel Algoma and before that Algoma Steel, is now known as simply Algoma. (Erik White/CBC)

During this byelection campaign, a new sign has been posted outside Sault Ste Marie's largest employer.

The steel mill formerly known as Essar Steel Algoma is now known simply as Algoma.

It's financial troubles and uncertain future have been hanging over the byelection campaign.

The mill also stares across the street at Franca Simonetti's home, which has a red sign and an orange sign in the front yard.

Her steelworker husband is for the NDP, but she has decided to vote Liberal.

"We talk about it, but we don't argue about it. I see his point and he sees mine," says Simonetti

"I don't know if it's going to make a big difference, but you have to go with what you're thinking and I'm thinking that for now we should stick with what we have."

But Simonetti says the Liberals need to do more to help the Sault, if they want to keep her support for the general election in June 2018.

hi-cheque
A new $3,000 annual limit for political party donations is a signifiant reduction compared to the previous $30,000 limit. (CBC)

Another way this Sault Ste. Marie byelection is a dry run for the general election a year from now is in how campaigns are financed.

A new law passed in December, bans political donations from companies and unions and restricts citizens to giving $3,000 a year, instead of $30,000.

In years past, a hotly contested byelection campaign, like this one in the Sault, was a great chance for parties to fill up their war chests.

During the 2015 Sudbury byelection, $500,000 was donated, about $400,000 to the victorious Liberals.

Now, under the new rules, Elections Ontario doesn't report byelection contributions separate from the annual donations to each party.

But in the month since the Sault Ste. Marie byelection was called, only about $165,000 across Ontario has been given to political parties, $138,000 of it to the Progressive Conservatives.

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